City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 4.7% higher than in Vallejo, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Vallejo, CA would need about $104,700 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,705 in Vallejo, CA. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 28% in Vallejo, CA.
- Both are in CA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $5,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.2% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Vallejo, CA ($124,085 → $133,060), while prices change by −4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.3% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Los Angeles, CA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,521 in Vallejo | $104,689 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.7%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
79 Strong offer
Vallejo, CA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.5%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
42 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Los Angeles → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $77,161 | +12.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $93,358 | +12.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $111,896 | +12.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $133,060 | +12.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $157,236 | +12.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $100,790 | $105,516 (+3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $136,930 | $143,351 (−10.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $95,800 | $100,292 (+6.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $203,290 | $212,823 (+57.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.